The poker game around Florian Wirtz and the question: Is a game worth that much money?

It's well known that Florian Wirtz has decided against FC Bayern . This is remarkable because the Munich club, especially the still-all-powerful Uli Hoeneß , have probably never been turned down in their bid to sign a football player with a German passport. That should give Bayern, nay, the entire Bundesliga something to think about. But that's another story.

Wirtz, it seems, would prefer to wear the colors of Liverpool FC in the future. Like his Bayer Leverkusen friend Jeremie Frimpong, for whom the Reds have exercised an exit clause. The price for the Dutchman: €40 million plus x, where x depends on several factors.

With Wirtz, things aren't quite so simple, and nowhere near as affordable. The 22-year-old's contract with Leverkusen, which runs until summer 2027 and which, thanks in part to his skill, won the German championship for the first time in the 2023/24 season and can no longer be derided as a "Vizekusen" since then, doesn't have an exit clause. Therefore, it can (Leverkusen) or must (Liverpool) be freely negotiated. And that's why things are now getting astronomical – as the saying goes.

Discovered and trained by 1. FC Köln

The English club reportedly offered €118 million plus a bonus of €12 million in a second attempt, but Bayer, in turn, politely rejected this package as well. In a third round of negotiations, the Premier League club is expected to up the ante to avoid damaging the reputation of Leverkusen's managing director Fernando Carro, who had already valued Wirtz at €150 million a year ago, as a tough negotiator.

Instead of even more money, it was recently reported that Liverpool could also offer two players in exchange. Harvey Elliott and/or Jarell Quansah are being discussed. It remains unclear whether either of them would even be willing to move from Anfield to the A1 motorway.

As with other mega- or mega-mega-transfers, the question ultimately arises as to whether a player is worth that much. The answer in Wirtz's case is probably yes. The midfielder, who was discovered and trained by 1. FC Köln, may not necessarily be a leader by nature, but he is someone who, with his outstanding attacking skills, can lead a team to success. And with an ease that few are able to achieve.